The Permission Slip You Didn't Know You Needed: On Creativity & Being The Fool

The Problem With Perfect

I've been thinking a lot about something Ethan Hawke said. He talked about creativity. We're so caught up in making something "good" or "important" that we forget the point. We get stuck in this weird loop where we want our work to matter so much that we end up making nothing at all.

Sound familiar? [Yeah, me too.]

Here's What We're Getting Wrong

The real twist is that creativity isn't some nice-to-have bonus feature of being human. It's not the cherry on top of life – it's more like the bread. Essential. Basic. Necessary.

Think about it:

- When was the last time you read something that made you feel less alone?

- Or heard a song that put words to feelings you couldn't explain?

- Or saw art that made you stop scrolling and actually feel something?

That's not luxury. That's survival equipment.

The Path That Isn't There Yet

"There's no path until you walk it" might be the most freeing thing I've heard in ages. Because here's what that really means: you can't mess up a path that doesn't exist yet. You're not doing it wrong because there is no "right."

You're just... walking. Making the path by walking it.

The Permission Paradox

The wildest part? The permission we're all waiting for – to be creative, to make things, to express ourselves – it's not actually something anyone else can give us. It's not a gold star or a certification or a certain number of followers.

It's just us, deciding to be the fool.

[And honestly? Being the fool is way more interesting than being the critic.]

What If We Just... Started?

Here's what I'm thinking:

- What if we stopped waiting to be "good enough"?

- What if we treated creativity like breathing – necessary, natural, not always pretty but always vital?

- What if we gave ourselves permission to make bad art, write messy first drafts, sing off-key?

Because here's the truth: creativity isn't about being good. It's about being honest.

The Plot Twist

The most beautiful part of all this? When we finally give ourselves permission to create without judgment, to be the fool, to walk the nonexistent path – that's precisely when we start making things that matter.

Not because they're perfect.

Not because they're important.

But because they're real.

Your Turn

So consider this your permission slip. To try. To fail. To make something that might not work.

Because the world doesn't need more perfect creations.

It needs more honest ones.

[Now go make something. Anything. The path is waiting for you to walk it.]

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P.S. The next time someone asks you if you're creative, remember: that's like asking if you're human. The answer is already yes. The only question is what you're going to do about it.